Carlton 30 Bookcase
Ettore Sottsass
Production Memphis Milano
Bookcase designed by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano, 1981.
Conceived as both a bookcase and a room divider, Carlton is one of the pieces that most clearly defines the identity of Memphis. Its composition of coloured volumes and planes, combined with the famous Bacterio pattern, turns the shelving unit into a totemic, almost architectural presence that is both functional and strongly symbolic. Presented at the landmark first Memphis exhibition in Milan on 18 September 1981, it has become one of Ettore Sottsass’s most recognisable designs. This example belongs to the limited edition of 30 pieces produced in 2011 for the thirtieth anniversary of Memphis. It is numbered 3/30 and comes with the special wooden crate made for the edition.
Design: 1981
Edition: Limited edition of 30, No. 3/30
Dimensions: W 190 × D 40 × H 196 cm
Ettore Sottsass
A central figure in radical and postmodern design, Ettore Sottsass was able to bridge architecture and product design while challenging the assumptions of modernist rationalism. Born in Innsbruck in 1917, throughout his career he introduced a symbolic and emotional dimension to his projects, rejecting the notion of object neutrality and opening the language of design to color, narrative, and meaning. With the founding of the Memphis Group in 1981, Sottsass contributed to a profound redefinition of the international design scene, leaving a lasting influence on the evolution of contemporary design.
Request information for Carlton 30 Bookcase
You may also like